Which cervical nerve controls what

Coccyx — More commonly known as the tailbone, this is a bony structure in the region of the spine below the sacrum. Conus medullaris — The cone-shaped bottom of the spinal cord, usually at the level of L1. Disc Intervertebral — A tough, elastic cushion located between the vertebrae in the spinal column; acts as a shock absorber for the vertebrae. Disc degeneration — The deterioration of a disc. A disc in the spine may wear out over time.

A deteriorated disc may or may not cause pain. Facet — A joint formed when a posterior structure of a vertebra that joins with a facet of an adjacent vertebra; this joint allows for motion in the spinal column. Each vertebra has a right and left superior upper facet and a right and left inferior lower facet. Foramen — An opening in the vertebrae of the spine through which the spinal nerve roots travel. Joint — The junction of two or more bones that permits varying degrees of motion between the bones.

Lamina — The flattened or arched part of the vertebral arch that forms the roof or back part of the spinal canal. Ligament — Fibrous connective tissue that links bones together at joints or that passes between bones of the spine.

Lumbar spine — The lower back region of the spine; consists of the five vertebrae between the ribs and the pelvis. Nerves — Neural tissue that conducts electrical impulses messages from the brain and spinal cord to all other parts of the body; also conveys sensory information from the body to the central nervous system. Nerve root — The initial portion of a spinal nerve as it originates from the spinal cord.

Neural arch — The bony arch of the back part of a vertebra that surrounds the spinal cord; also referred to as the vertebral arch, it consists of the spinous process and lamina. Pedicle — The bony part of each side of the neural arch of a vertebra that connects the lamina back part with the vertebral body front part. Rotation — Twisting movement of one vertebra on another as a patient turns from one side to the other.

Sacrum — Part of the pelvis just above the coccyx tailbone and below the lumbar spine lower back. Sciatica — A lay term indicating pain along the course of the sciatic nerve; typically noted in the back of the buttocks and running down the back of the leg and thigh to below the knee. Cervical Radiculopathy Interactive Video. What Causes Hand Pain and Numbness? Cervical Spinal Cord Anatomy Animation. You are here Conditions Spine Anatomy. Cervical Spinal Nerves share pin it Newsletters.

Peer Reviewed. Video: Cervical Nerve Anatomy Learn how 8 pairs of spinal nerves in the neck play an important role in sending messages to and from the spinal cord. Magee DJ. Still struggling with nerve pain in the places where your shingles rash ravaged your skin? Find out which treatments work best for this lingering pain. A bad headache can ruin your whole day; chronic headaches can ruin your life.

Find out here. When your pain began, you went to your doctor, fully expecting to get relief. Now, months later, the pain continues and nothing has helped. A herniated lumbar disc can be a real pain in the back.

And if your sciatic nerve is affected, the pain and numbness can radiate through your bottom and down your legs as well. Here are some non-surgical treatments that can end your post-crash pain. Now accepting Telehealth appointments. A pinched nerve occurs when there is pressure or compression of a spinal nerve, and it is the most common spinal nerve disorder.

The spinal nerves are peripheral nerves that transmit messages between the spinal cord and the rest of the body, including muscles, skin, and internal organs.

Each spinal nerve is dedicated to certain regions of the body. The spinal nerves are relatively large nerves that are formed by the merging of a sensory nerve root and a motor nerve root. These nerve roots emerge directly from the spinal cord—sensory nerve roots from the back of the spinal cord and the motor nerve roots from the front of the spinal cord.

As they join, they form the spinal nerves on the sides of the spinal cord. The spinal cord is composed of nerve cells that serve to relay messages between the brain and the peripheral nerves. The spinal nerves receive sensory messages from tiny nerves located in areas such as the skin, internal organs, and bones. The spinal nerves send sensory messages to the sensory roots, then to sensory fibers in the posterior back or dorsal part of the spinal cord.

The motor roots receive nerve messages from the anterior front or ventral part of the spinal cord and send the nerve messages to the spinal nerves, and eventually to small nerve branches that activate muscles in the arms, legs, and other areas of the body. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves including:.

Spinal nerves are distributed approximately evenly along the spinal cord and spine. The spine is a column of vertebral bones that protects and surrounds the spinal cord. Each spinal nerve exits the spine by traveling through the foramen, which are openings at the right and left sides of the vertebral bones of the spine.

The spinal nerves are formed within a few centimeters of the spine on each side. Some groups of spinal nerves merge with each other to form a large plexus. Some spinal nerves divide into smaller branches, without forming a plexus. A plexus is a group of nerves that combine with each other. There are five main plexi formed by the spinal nerves:.

There are numerous described variants of spinal nerve anatomy, but these are generally discovered during pre-operative testing or during surgery for an injury to the spine, spinal cord, or spinal nerve. A study evaluating the spinal nerve anatomy of 33 cadavers deceased people identified spinal nerve plexus variants in The spinal nerves have small sensory and motor branches. Each of the spinal nerves carries out functions that correspond to a certain region of the body.

These are muscle movement, sensation, and autonomic functions control of internal organs. Because their function is so well understood, when a particular spinal nerve becomes impaired, the resulting deficit often pinpoints which spinal nerve or nerves are affected.

Motor messages to the spinal nerves originate in the brain. The motor strip homunculus in the brain initiates a command for muscle control. This command is sent to the spine through nerve impulses and then travels through the motor root to the spinal nerve. Motor stimulation is very specific, and it may activate the whole spinal nerve or just one of its branches to stimulate a very small group of muscles—depending on the command from the brain. The distribution of spinal nerve control throughout the body is described as a myotome.

Each physical movement requires one or more muscles, which is activated by a branch of a spinal nerve. For example, the biceps muscle is controlled by C6 and the triceps muscle is controlled by C7. There are fewer autonomic branches of the spinal nerves than there are the motor and sensory branches.

The spinal nerves receive messages including touch, temperature, position, vibration, and pain from the small nerves in the skin, muscles, joints, and internal organs of the body. Each spinal nerve corresponds to a skin region of the body, described as a dermatome. For example, sensation near the belly button is sent to T10 and sensation from the hand is sent to C6, C7, and 8.